This invention relates generally to miniature toy vehicles, and more particularly to a toy vehicle assembly in which a standardized sub-assembly constituted by a chassis carrying front and rear wheel sets is usable with a range of different body designs to create small scale replicas of classic high performance vehicles.
For many years, it has been the practice in the toy industry to market small-scale replicas of classic car models. These miniature vehicles, which are capable of running when pushed by the player, are realistic counterparts of actual models, for they simulate not only the body form but also the interior seating arrangement and dashboard as seen through the windows of the body. Such miniature vehicles have greater play value than toy vehicles whose body appearance is in no way related to full scale vehicles familiar to the players.
Thus among the well-known high performance cars are the "Corvette," the "Formula One Racer," the "Trans Am," the "GTO," the "280ZX" and the "Cutlass." Each of these classic models possesses a highly distinctive body and interior design that is immediately recognized by the typical car buff. In order, therefore, for a toy manufacturer to produce a range of small-scale vehicles simulating the above-listed vehicles, he must mold of plastic or fabricate in metal reasonably accurate replicas thereof.
The chassis of a vehicle is not visible to an observer; and the wheel sets of different models, apart from differences in hub ornamentation, are essentially the same. In order, therefore, to reduce the cost of manufacturing and assembling toy vehicles which are small-scale replicas of high performance vehicles, it is desirable to be able to standardize the chassis and wheel set sub-assembly which when joined to the body completes the car assembly.
Known forms of chassis and wheel set sub-assemblies for miniature toy vehicles are relatively complicated mechanically and costly to manufacture. Thus the Prodger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,149 shows a miniature toy vehicle that includes a box-like shallow chassis provided at its front and rear ends with a pair of axle clearance notches to receive the axles of the front and rear wheel sets. These wheel sets are supported on a suspension plate having axle-holding arms. In producing this sub-assembly, one must first secure the axles of the wheel set to the holding arms on the suspension plate, then screw the suspension plate to the chassis to complete the sub-assembly, after which the sub-assembly must in turn be secured to the underside of the car body.